There is no doubt… if you want to change something in your life, the beginning of a new year is a great time to start momentum. You’re fresh from a holiday, enjoying the sunshine (in Australia anyway!) and return to work inspired to do things differently. I get it… I really do! But if you truly want to make a change, the last thing you should call it is a new years resolution – otherwise it is certain to fail!

New years resolutions get a bad wrap! Essentially as a brand, resolutions don’t have good stickability. The concept is built for failure because you will inevitably – not live up to the resolution. It is a short-term brand built on guilt!

So what to do? As a parent that has just (very recently!) turned 40, it is all about clever branding – by not calling it a resolution! You will be more forgiving on yourself, more flexible and if it doesn’t work out – you can call it something else further down the track – I mean who has ever set a new year resolution mid year?

I have some changes I want to make to my life. Changes to a routine I have built up over many many years. Changes to some habits that are no longer serving me well. Changing to increase more ‘me time’, a focus on being healthy, exercising more and blowing bubbles more (scuba diving). These are my changes for 2013 and to help encourage its long-term success – I am branding this change my ’40 and focused’ phase. See – it even sounds longer…

Why start the new year destined for failure? Brand your changes the way you want – its more fun that way!